Hi -- My daugher and I are leaving on 3/7 on the Dawn. My husband and I were on the Pearl in Feb., 2007 and found out midway through the cruise that any additional written gratuities we put on the check (whether at dinner in the specialty restaurants or at the bars) were not given to the actual service person but distributed in the general pool. Should I be slipping cash to the waitstaff if we think they've done an exceptional job so that the money goes directly to them? That's what we've always done in the past with our cabin steward. I just think great service should be rewarded individually!

penny3333

03-02-2009 10:04 AM

I agree with you mb0620. When we visited one of the specialty restaurants, I gave the waiter $20 and the assistant $20, in cash. We do that with bar tenders/servers as well as cabin stewards, etc., that we feel deserve extra. We leave the auto-tips on and tip cash to those that are exceptional. This is just our opinion, but I think it's a fair approach.

LisaP

03-04-2009 08:40 PM

Another way of thanking them is to make specific mention of them on your comment card. I know that there are small comment cards in the main dining rooms, yet I don't recall if these are in Le Bistro or the other pay restaurants. If not, you can probably request one at the front desk, or make mention on the general comment card.

Enjoy your cruise!

Frase

03-10-2009 12:16 AM

Back in December I went on a cruise onboard the Norwegian Pearl. I did notice those "credit card-like" receipts I received at the end of the meal in those specialty restaurants. Those receipts (just like restaurants on land) had a space where you would write-in the tip amount. I did write in a few dollars. The waiter then would print-out a new receipt showing the new total that included your tip. Rather than dealing with two receipts, I just wrote in the word "CASH" on the tip line, and handed the waiter the few dollar bills cash for the tip.

I had no idea that the tips you wrote on the receipt would go into a pool, as someone mention here on this post.

So I wonder if giving the tip, in the form of dollar bills, directly to the waiter was better than writing in the amount in on the receipt? I guessed it all depended on how honest the waiter was with his fellow wait staff?

jjcruise

03-13-2009 10:56 PM

Just off the NCL Sky and when in Le Bristo slipped our waiter an extra $5.00.....due to great service. Not sure if he kept it or thru it in the pool. The tip pool that is. Hopefully he slipped it into his own pocket.